For the love of a brother
by RoseScor90
Summary: Narcissa reflects upon the relation with the rest of her family; her father, mother, sisters and cousins; most importantly, Sirius Black. Set in Harry's fourth year. R&R!


Disclaimer: Not JK…

A/n: Written for the "**COMPETITION - character-animal-prompt**" The prompts were Narcissa, dog and chocolate.

Narcissa Malfoy watched the retreating form with a sigh. It was already too dark to spot its outline. As if sensing her wish, the grim like creature looked back, its stormy grey eyes glinting in strange mirth in the moonlight. Almost as if it was amused by her. Almost as if he was laughing at her. Which he had every right to do, she realized as she went through the gigantic doors of the sprawling Manor which had been her self imposed prison for almost two decades now.

The thought of the abysmal looking house brought the memories of her own home to her mind. The days of her childhood were long past, though the memories refused to fade, the way her parents and cousins had. Even her sister, who had been once called an equal to the Dark Lord, was now rotting behind the cell bars in Azkaban. Narcissa couldn't convince herself in thinking that Bellatrix was innocent. She had seen one too many of her trysts to be able to delude herself. The faces of the pleading, agonized muggles haunted her, and she shook off her thoughts hurriedly. This was the exact reason she tried not to think of her family. But of course, his coming here everyday made that hard.

Her thoughts inevitably reverted to the only thing aside from her son that gave her even a ray of happiness those days; thinking of her family. She was the only remaining member of the family who wasn't dead or locked up in Azkaban or blasted off the family tree. Her only remaining cousin had come visiting a few months back, shocking her to the end of the world and back. Sure, she had known that he had escaped prison, somewhere he did not even belong in the first place. Her and Sirius' relationship had been deep enough for her to know that Sirius would rather endure a hundred thousand run ins with the Dark Lord than betray his friends. Or his god son who he loved so much that he had managed to achieve the impossible; a break out of Azkaban.

Narcissa closed her eyes as she leaned back in her recliner, tears stinging her eyes, not for the first time in the fourteen years since the defeat of the Dark Lord. Acts of bravery and loyalty ran before her eyes. People say your life runs before your eyes as you die. If that was the case, Narcissa couldn't help but wonder what she would see when her fate would be sealed. A husband whose attraction to all things evil overrode his attachment to family? A son who was so intent on making his father proud that he was ignorant to the fact that he was making the same mistakes his parent had and wasn't prudent enough to realize what his actions entailed? Or a broken apart family that, for all public appearances, seemed self-sufficient and cemented? A lifetime of being used by the various people in her life?

No. Narcissa shook her head, dispelling the dismal thoughts. Those would certainly not be the things she'd see. She'd see a family, a happy family, the kind of family that stuck together through thick and thin. A mother to whom she was the cherished daughter, a father who was absolutely proud of her, a sister who would give her life to protect her, a sister who could understand her thoughts by just looking at her face. An unconscious smile bloomed on Narcissa's face, making the lines of sorrow on her face disappear for a second.

And then there were her cousins, Sirius and Regulus. They'd meet atleast thrice a day when they were still children. Even when they grew up, the bond they shared did not sever. That was, until Sirius went to Hogwarts and was sorted into Gryffindor. Narcissa saw that he was at home there. He gained a lot of friends and was quite famous, but those did not matter to the Black family. All they cared about was that he wasn't in Slytherin. Narcissa watched helplessly as his own home became a torture chamber, watched as he lost his family one by one, watched as the strongest bond of brotherhood break into chips. That had been the most painful thing to bear, watching Sirius and Regulus constantly at each others' throats.

The two siblings on earth she thought were an example of brotherhood. Their relationship had never even showed a hint of strain. Narcissa could never remember a time in their childhood when Sirius had been anything less than doting on his brother. Regulus was never the most bold and expressive and Sirius had made it a point to guard him. She could remember the days they had teased him that he was Regulus' nanny. He hadn't relented, if anything his overprotectiveness had doubled. Narcissa knew that Sirius was born compassionate.

The elder of the Black brothers had been the most caring passionate person she had ever had the good fortune of knowing. Indeed, it was a fortune to know Sirius Orion Black. She now understood why Uncle Alphard had been partial to him. He had the one thing that had been lacking in the family for generations; righteousness. He had been very forward about right and wrong from the very beginning and combined with his kind temperament and shielding nature, he had almost had love emanating off him. It was a wonder that noone had thought about it before. But of course, they'd assumed that the fact that he was a Black would overrule anything else. Oh, how wrong her uncle and aunt had been!

Even when she had entered Hogwarts, he had tried to meet with her. He hadn't changed much at all, he was just wearing a different theme of colors. It hadn't mattered to Narcissa much back then either and whenever she found a bar of chocolate waiting for her on her dorm bed, her happiness overflowed. But then, the Dark Lord had arisen and everything had gone haywire. Separated and at opposite sides of the army, their relationship hadn't faltered. That affection was what had made him beg her not to marry Lucius Malfoy; the same fondness was what had made him risk his skin and hide to come meet her when Draco had been born. He had been her elder brother in every sense of the word. She had pitied Regulus. He had missed a wonderful brother.

That was the same reason why she knew Sirius was innocent. The same reason why she never told anyone about the black dog that came to visit her every evening, a stolen bar of chocolate held in its mouth.

The same reason why, almost a year later, she went to her old home to see if Sirius was alright. She had thought Bella had been of the same feeling. But she must have known, Bella was her master's servant. She had no use for brothers.

It was on the day he passed through the veil that she decided. She'd bide her time. She'd wait. The time for her deflection would come, and she'd avenge the death of Sirius. She'd take revenge on those who murdered her brother. Even if that person happened to be her sister.

It was because of such minuscule cracks in their front that the Dark Side couldn't stand strong when tested. Because the threads which held their armor together had frayed and decayed long ago.

A/n: Review!


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